It takes about two seconds to figure out when you talk with 22-year Army Special Operations veteran and Delta Force soldier Pat McNamara that he’s about as straight a shooter as they come.
But it’s more than just the trigger squeeze, proper sight alignment and firm grip honed over many years as the senior marksmanship NCO for the world’s top counterterrorism unit that makes him hit the bull’s-eye every time. In an exclusive interview with We Are The Mighty, McNamara demonstrates why he’s such a popular trainer and mentor beyond the world of tactical shooting and athletic strength training.
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“I’m always on the up and up. I’m always brutally honest,” McNamara said in a phone interview.
And it shows when he’s talking about veterans who use their former service to get perks.
“Here’s the thing, I’m not a fan of ‘professional veterans.’ Guys who rest on their laurels and say, ‘I’m a vet. Be nice to me; I’ve done this for the country,” McNamara says. “F–k you. Get a job; figure it out for yourself. I did my service voluntarily, I did it for myself and my country, [and] I wasn’t doing it for accolades.”
Becoming a Tactical Trainer
Not long after he left the storied Delta Force special operations unit in 2005 as a sergeant major, McNamara established his own training and fitness company, dubbed Tactics-Marksmanship-Adventure-Concepts-Security, based in his hometown of Pinehurst, North Carolina. Since then, McNamara has emerged as one of the most innovative, and edgy, tactical trainers in the business.
With an aggressive in-your-face style that doesn’t suffer fools, McNamara has never been afraid of challenging the tactics of other high-profile competitors.
In one video, McNamara shreds the long-taught concept of “scan and assess” after a shooter hits his target. Calling it “theater through institutional inbreeding,” McNamara argues that practicing “scan and assess” is the same as yelling “I quit!” in a gunfight.
Pat McNamara on Range Theatrics
But McNamara’s skills go well beyond the range or the gym. A student of sports psychology and leadership under stress, the former commando is always trying to find ways to teach students better and challenge the status quo.
“The guys I’m training, I want them to be stronger and more effective, because I need them to be stronger and more effective,” McNamara said. “I’m always trying to be a more effective instructor… and to present a more powerful delivery so that learning takes place more effectively.”
Despite his Athenian physique and distinctive, pointed goatee, McNamara possesses a softer side as well. He’s a diehard fly fisherman, musician, and graphic artist who’s unapologetic about his new mission as a family man and husband.
5 Questions with Pat McNamara
We Are The Mighty: OK, right out of the gate, where do you come down on the age-old debate of 9mm versus .45 ACP?
Pat McNamara: “9 mm. Now, I have a love affair with my 1911. But the caliber debate is f–king dead. It’s all about bullet placement. And the thing is, you can get 9mm all over the world.”
WATM: I’m not going to hold back here. Which is better in a fight, an AK-47 or an AR-15?
Pat McNamara: “Easy one, AR; that’s not even close. That 7.62×39 is a devastating round. It’s going to go right through a lot of stuff. It’s really freaking bad ass. But ergonomically, the AK-47 is just not sound—that’s a conscript Army freaking gun. To me, the AR is just a more professional platform, and there’s a lot more you can do with it. And when it comes to accuracy… if you have a good barrel and good ammo, you can group at 500 with that thing, easy.”
WATM: You did a lot of cool things as a Delta operator, I’m sure. But what was the most annoying mission ever?
Pat McNamara: “It was the Balkans. We were waiting ‘on the bubble’ for 36 days. Just waiting for 36 frickin’ days, and we never got to hit our target. There were others that were [worse], but they didn’t last as long. And the conditions on that one were horrible.”
WATM: What is your No. 1 tip for good leadership?
Pat McNamara: “Show up before everyone else and be the last one to leave. You know, never be late, light and out of uniform.
“Another one is, always have an ear. You gotta look people in the eye and listen to them. You can’t blow people off, [and] you have to be genuinely frickin’ concerned.”
WATM: It’s beach reading season. What’s on the top of your stack of books to read this summer?
Pat McNamara: “Right now, I’m reading something called ‘Mindset.’
“I’m always trying to read stuff that’s applicable to my job and my guys because I’m training. I have a vested interest. People tell me to read this book or that, but I like to read sports psychology and science.”